A better world
by Draco's water melon LoL
Summary: Astoria/Draco story
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first story ever, i'm excited to see how it will go and if anyone will like it. I would also like to know if there is someting to improve etc. so i hope you'll review; if you do - i'll be your best friend forever ;)_

_I don't own Harry Potter. And i don't own Draco Malfoy, although i wish :) I don't own Astoria too (nor any HP character you may find in my story) but since JKR hasn't written about AG much, this is how i imagine her. This is her story. And of DM ofc :) I'm not sure if i'll always write in this POV, probably will be changing from Draco to Astoria. I'm not sure, tell me what you think. I would appreciate it very much._

***

Astoria Greengrass has always been different than her sister Daphne. Daphne was girly, talkative, fashionable, snobbish. Astoria was shy, liked to read and get lost in her own world where things were better. Where war wasn't about to come. Where her father wasn't a Death Eater. Where her parents loved her and weren't ashamed of her for being who she was.

She didn't like parties and gatherings her parents held and went to, she had no sense of fashion and acting in public on such occasions. Instead she could be clumsy and stutter when she was nervous and many other things, so after much fighting and desperate tries to make something of her which all ended without success, they just drop it like a lost case.

To everyone who bothered remembering they have another daughter, they lied that she was ill and therefore rarely got out of her room. Which was true because while the particular party was being held in their house she wasn't to come anywhere near till it was over in case anyone sees her and she of course wasn't taken on gatherings her family attended ever.

Her sister spent most of her time perfecting the walk, dance, smiles and such in front of the mirror so she would impress everyone with her manners, attires, make-up, elegance and grace. She certainly would get adequate husband, her place in high society, and uphold the family honor. This sounded so meaningless to Astoria when her mother would start arguing with her for not being like that, like her sister, like she was supposed to be.

Astoria could see the question forming in her mother's eyes even if she didn't say it out loud - why did she come to be. . .wrong? Maybe because her parents were so pleased with how Daphne was growing and acting, they didn't pay much attention to her younger sister and in the end she ended up like she was now.

Or maybe it was meant to be that way.

That's what she kept telling herself, because she hoped that maybe she was meant to be that way for someone, someone who's not like the people her parents associated with. Someone different, a dream prince every girl at least subconsciously had, who would take her away from all this misery into that better world she always dreamed of.

That's what she kept telling herself, because it hurt less than having her parents always preferring Daphne and little by little but more and more, over the years, pushing her away.

***

But something was about to change ...


	2. A different kind of beauty

Daphne would, in her spare time, when she was bored perhaps, taunt Astoria at least once a day. When she started going to school Astoria almost missed her because she felt lonely and at times she would ask herself if something was truly wrong with her to cause her family acting towards her the way they did.

When Daphne came for her first Christmas at home since the school started she was full of impressions and stories but her parents got bored listening to her talking about it all the time. They only told her that they are proud of her, even though she isn't a very good student, but she was put in Slytherin, that she made a good choice befriending the Parkinson's daughter and that she should try to get as close as she can to the Malfoy's son, for obvious reasons. He was, apparently, a great catch for a girl like Daphne. Rich, powerful family like Malfoy is always good to keep close to. If they're lucky, she will end up marrying Draco Malfoy which would bound their families more. That would of course get them on higher level in society and many other things Astoria didn't know well at that age. She also didn't know any of these people, only from the stories she heard in passing. As she never went to parties and such gatherings she never met anyone.

Because of lacking someone to talk to at home, Daphne started spending time in Astoria's room talking about everything that's happening at school and mostly of Draco Malfoy. From everything she heard from both her parents over the years about the Malfoy family and now from Daphne's stories about this particular boy, he didn't appear like a nice person to her. He seemed arrogant, snobby and mean (taunting people at school and such, as she heard). She imagined him to be like all the people she caught glimpses of in her father's offices, or when she would sneak from her room to wander the house and accidentally sees someone from the gathering. Correction, she imagined him to _become_ like that, she imagined him to be on way of becoming ... Her still childish mind couldn't understand much of anything and she didn't know what or why but in that moment she felt something, although for just a second.

So she kept listening to her sister stories in hope that her sister might threat her better afterwards; and because she though it could help her when she herself starts going to school. For first, she realized soon enough that her sister was just using her, in a way. When their parents were around or when Pansy came to their house she would start acting towards Astoria the same way she always did, taunting her ... or completely ignoring her.

***

It was summer brake and Daphne came home after finishing her second year with many stories, as always, which Astoria patiently listened to although she knew she couldn't really gain much from it. That was another thing that made her different from her sister - she was willing to do things that wouldn't get her something in return, where she had nothing to gain.

The 8th of August was coming near and Daphne was planning to throw a party. Previous years, on that date, the gathering was always made for their parents' friends and relatives. But since Daphne started going to school and made friends herself, she now calls them too. She told Astoria that she wasn't to attend, as always.

Astoria felt sad and disappointed. She hoped her sister would change if she tried to be her friend and get to know her better. But she guessed that would never happen, or at least not soon. She realized her sister was quite shallow and two-faced. When Daphne needed Astoria Astoria would be there but when Astoria needed Daphne Daphne was nowhere to be found. And it hurt Astoria to know her sister was like that. Yet she didn't hate her, she believed in best in people and hoped Daphne will get better with years but since the surrounding means much for forming of a person and the people Daphne was spending most of the time with weren't really good, her hope would usually fade, but there it was still there ...

***

As she sat on her bed trying to read the new interesting book she has recently discovered in her family's home library, Astoria could hear the noise coming from two sides of the house. One was coming from downstairs where her parents were having a gathering for her sister's birthday with their friends and relatives and that one wasn't very loud or distracting. But the one coming from another chamber on the same floor her room was had given her some difficulties to concentrate because that was Daphne's room and she had invited her school friends there. She could only hear few voices whose owners, as she assumed, were leading the whole subject they all discussed or what ever that was happening there, yelling louder to outloud the others and get in the centre of attention. She recognized her sister's voice and the one that belonged to Pansy Parkinson. She couldn't hear well what they were talking, she could only catch a word or two occasionally.

But then, she was suddenly glad she wasn't invited because the sounds that were coming didn't seem very nice and she guessed she would get bored there of listening to Pansy who seemed rather annoying and who never was nice to her when she came to their house over holidays. She would always act like she was the best and Daphne was mirroring her more and more over the years but not like a best friend. Pansy seemed more confident and prudent, like a snake. Her sister, she noticed, was more like a spoiled child who tried to be like Pansy sometimes and becoming more her copy, her sidekick or something than an actual friend.

But Astoria never knew much of friendship, anyway. She never had any friends. But this year she would start going to school and she hoped she would find some nice people to befriend there.

***

She left her book lying open on her bed and got out on the balcony of her room to see what the sky looks like this evening. She liked to do that occasionally, she thought it was beautiful. But this time she saw a different kind of beauty.

On the other balcony, a little apart from hers, the boy was casually leaning against the fence and looking slightly above but his eyes were glassy like he was deep in thoughts. He was pale and his hair was light blond. She stood there for a while just watching him. And then he noticed her.


	3. Chapter 3

this chapter is for my readers to meet Draco, how i shaped his character and personality.

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Draco stood there on the balcony watching nothing in particular. If he just took a notice he would see, on his left about five feet away, a little girl standing on the other balcony.

But he was deep in thoughts and didn't see anything. . ._yet_.

He was thinking about many things, mostly about life and how boring this party was. It may sound simple, but it isn't. Especially not the life of Draco Malfoy. Though, this party was boring indeed, as simple as that. He found it as a pure waste of time.

One of the reasons he didn't like it was because it reminded him of his own birthday parties. Full with luxury, expensive presents, best food and generally the best of everything. That was the life people such as their parents, and therefore them, leaded. So, the birthday parties were like that too, or any other parties or gatherings for that matter.

But to him, it all started to be boring at some point. And no one knew he felt that way. It certainly didn't appear to be so, on the outside. Inside, well, -

No one really knew Draco Malfoy.

His childhood was not the best a child could have, and his parents were difficult people.

Few of his father's main preoccupations were money, power and upholding a family honor which he forced on Draco who since he could remember, was trying to obey and please his father. But Lucius was a cruel man and was never satisfied, what more - he took pleasure in punishing his own son and abusing him from the day he was born. It left marks on Draco, both physically and mentally, but it also made him mature faster. It was sad, but necessary for surviving in the harsh world he lived in.

His mother, Narcissa, never was a motherly type. Though, she enjoyed spending money and showered Draco with every material thing his little heart desired. Lucius and her bought Draco the best things, but just to keep up the appearances and show the world who they are and what they have, though they didn't really care for the boy in general, especially not Lucius.

All the luxury, expensive gifts and pleasures that money brings were starting to bore him. He spent thirteen years of being abused or ignored by his parents on one side while spoiled rotten on the other.

He remembered that when he was younger he enjoyed the richness, the shallow boy he was. But he also remembered that his parents were never there to comfort him or play with him or give him any real sign that they cared for him. He doubted they were. He doubted anyone ever cared. Even Pansy and Daphne and all the other girls that started getting interested in him as they aged enough to the period when girls and boys start interacting with other sex (he was 13 now) ever liked him, they never even knew him enough.

All he ever had was money. There he was seeking solace and comfort. He desperately dived into a river of wealth trying to satisfy his thirst for affection. Needless to say, he remained thirsty. The ignorance of his parents reflected him and produced his need to be a center of attention. And was surprisingly brilliant doing it, he knew to entertain, talked well, had a sense of humor, the attitude and confidence.

But at some moments, like this, he just needed to get away from everything.

**. . .**

That's when he saw _her_.

He wasn't sure how he noticed her in the first place since the other balcony wasn't very near and she wasn't one of those people who just catch your eye. In white gown that matched the balcony wall she could almost pass as a chameleon. He doubted he would notice her if she was in the room with more people because there was nothing on her that would attract people. She seemed simple and random.

Yet, now she stood there alone and, somehow, he saw her. Maybe, while lost in thoughts, he was absentmindedly moving his eyes around, subconsciously observing the surroundings, when his mind registered a suspicious shape on his left. And he, again absentmindedly, decided to take a look.

The girl was staring at him.

As he was getting older, he started catching more and more girls observing him. He knew how he looked and how it affected females. But that didn't mean much to him since he was never really attracted to anyone. Pansy was the most obvious and desperate to capture his attention and the way she was throwing herself on him was pathetic. He didn't know if she really likes him, but he knew the way she was watching him was annoying and, on some level, harassing.

But the way the girl on the balcony was looking at him was different. It wasn't like Pansy - dirtied with hidden benefits and desires. It was more like she was looking at a beautiful piece of art wondering about the story behind it. It was sincere and innocent filled with admiration and curiosity.

Suddenly the girls' eyes slightly widened and he could almost hear her gasp. Then she ran inside ...

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in next chapter you'll see why Astoria ran inside and what she's thinking,

maybe what draco thought too and what he did after she ran inside, ..?


End file.
